The Arc New London County Awarded $20,000 Digital Literacy Grant by Comcast Foundation

Norwich, CT – The Comcast Foundation has announced a two-year $20,000 award to The Arc New London County (NLC) to support its “Community Access through Digital Literacy” training program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). This grant is reflective of Comcast’s commitment to give back to the communities where its customers and employees live and work.
 
“Comcast is committed to help strengthen communities, foster diversity and opportunity, and create a lasting impact,” said Dan Glanville, Vice President of Government, Regulatory and Community Affairs for Comcast’s Western New England region, which is headquartered in Connecticut. “The Internet is an integral part of today’s society, and we’re honored to provide The Arc New London County with the means to offer this program to their members, which is an important step in the path toward equality and full access for people with disabilities.”
 
The “Community Access through Digital Literacy” program builds on two other Comcast-funded programs at The Arc NLC, which provide computer training, Internet safety, job readiness, and iPad accessibility apps.  Thanks to additional funding, the program will expand to include a dedicated facilitator who will partner with instructors to refine the curriculum and develop a course textbook for people with I/DD. The grant will also allow students to practice what they have learned at a staffed computer lab at The Arc NLC’s Employment Transition Center in Groton.
 
Kathleen Stauffer, CEO of The Arc New London County, praised Comcast’s commitment to people with I/DD in Southeastern Connecticut. “We can’t thank Comcast enough for recognizing the importance of continuing these important education programs for the people we serve. Without Comcast’s support, generosity, and encouragement of innovative solutions in our community, we would not be able to implement these critical training programs.” 
 
Comcast is a year-round partner of The Arc NLC, and recently produced a video that focused on the agency and its programs, which premiered during The Arc NLC’s annual film festival in April.
 
For more information about The Arc NLC’s digital literacy education program, please contact Denise Tift at 860.889.4435 x 103 or dtift@thearcnlc.org.

About the Comcast Foundation:
The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation has three community investment priorities—expanding digital literacy, promoting service, and building tomorrow’s leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated more than $195 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/community.
 
About Comcast in Connecticut:
Comcast is committed to providing an unparalleled entertainment and communications experience to residents and businesses in the 83 communities the company serves in Connecticut.  Comcast’s Western New England Region, which includes five states, is headquartered in Berlin, Connecticut, and customers are served by a team of more than 1,300 Connecticut employees.  Comcast also boasts a call center in Enfield, Connecticut, service centers throughout the state, and seven state-of-the-art Xfinity Service Centers where customers can experience Comcast’s Xfinity products and services firsthand. Comcast’s popular Xfinity brand is also featured on the Xfinity Theatre, one of Hartford’s premier music venues.  The company helps to strengthen the communities where its customers and employees live and work by supporting local nonprofit organizations.